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Thursday, October 11, 2012

Review: Intrinsical by Lani Woodland

Sixteen-year-old Yara Silva has always known that ghosts walk alongside the living. Her grandma, like the other females in her family, is a Waker, someone who can see and communicate with ghosts. Yara grew up watching her grandmother taunted and scorned for this unusual ability and doesn't want that to be her future. She has been dreading the day when she too would see ghosts, and is relieved that the usually dominant Waker gene seems to have skipped her, letting her live a normal teenage life. However, all that changes for Yara on her first day at her elite boarding school when she discovers the gene was only lying dormant. She witnesses a dark mist attack Brent, a handsome fellow student, and rushes to his rescue. Her act of heroism draws the mist's attention, and the dark spirit begins stalking her. Yara finds herself entrenched in a sixty-year-old curse that haunts the school, threatening not only her life, but the lives of her closest friends as well. Yara soon realizes that the past she was trying to put behind her isn't going to go quietly.
While I love to own books, I don't typically buy them unless I've read them first (unless it's part of a series that I really like). However, awhile back I read a good review about Intrinsical, and I enjoyed the sample I found online. So, when I saw a heads-up that the eBook was available for only 99 cents, I bought it (along with its sequel).

The idea of being a Waker was intriguing to me, and the boarding school setting (which just went co-ed) added a great element to the story. Yara and her friend Cheri made a good duo. Yara was fairly serious while Cheri kept things on the lighter side (most of the time).

Not too far into the story a major event took place that totally threw me for a loop. I had no idea how the situation would be resolved (as it seemed that there was no coming back from it). But, I was happy with the resolution.

If you like reading ghost stories (especially close to Halloween), consider adding Intrinsical to your list. It's mysterious without being overly creepy. There are plenty of serious moments, but there are light moments along with a well-paced romance.